An automatic nucleic acid extracting system automatically extracting DNA and RNA is being proposed for post-genome researches (for example, in Japanese Patent Application No. 2004-148365 below).
FIG. 15 is a schematic illustration showing an automatic nucleic acid extracting system.
The automatic nucleic acid extracting system 100 has a cartridge holder 103 retaining plural cartridges 104 in an aligned state, a pressure nozzle 101 for feeding pressurized air to the cartridges 104, and a moving head retaining the pressure nozzle 101 and being capable of moving in the aligned direction of the cartridges 104. The automatic nucleic acid extracting system 100 has recovering containers 106 and a rack 105 retaining the recovering containers 106. In a recovering step of recovering a nucleic acid that has been once adsorbed on an adsorbing medium provided in the cartridges 104 through a recovering solution, the recovering containers 106 recovers the recovering solution discharged from the cartridges 104.
In the automatic nucleic acid extracting system 100, after injecting a sample solution containing a nucleic acid or a solution, such as a rinsing solution and a recovering solution, into the cartridge 104 from an injecting nozzle, the pressure nozzle 101 is pressed onto an open end of the cartridge 104 to feed pressurized air to the interior of the cartridge 104 from the pressure nozzle, whereby the solution is passed through the adsorbing medium and discharged from the cartridge 104 to the recovering container 106 or a waste liquor container, which is not shown in the figure.